Oh, St Valentine’s day…a special occasion for loving people and indulging on chocolate! What? Isn’t that the point of celebrating love, eating chocolate? Well, I’m not a sweet tooth but I enjoy chocolate, as well as many sweet treats, every now and then. For this St. Valentine’s day, I bring you the whole menu for a special meal that is healthy and decadent at the same time. Also, it is a light meal, in case you need to do some exercise afterwards, ya know what I’m sayin’?

Shiitake and blue cheese bruscetta

Ingredients:

2 loaves of a very nice bread (rustic bread is perfect)

1 leek (green and white parts)

250gr shiitake mushrooms

100 gr of your desired type of blue cheese (It works best if it is a bit creamy. I used a Danish kind-of-brie)

5 pink radishes

Olive oil for sautéeing.

Cayenne flakes (optional)

Method:

Cut the leek in slices and sautée.

Tear the mushrooms with your hands and sutée when the leeks are starting to golden.

Keep cooking until done, but take them out before they lose texture.

Assemble on the bread and add little chunks of the cheese o top.

Roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 180ºC

Take out and add the sliced radishes and cayenne flakes on top.

This recipe goes great with a nice Albariño wine, or a Côtes de Provence rosé. but also with a nice lager or any brand of water.

Whole roasted cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower, green leaves removed

1 leek

8 carrots

For the cauliflower crust:

4 garlic cloves

1 chipotle chilli

10 cloves

Black pepper

1/2 tsp nutmeg

5 prunes

Salt

Grated cheese (I used a mixture of mature cheddar, emmental and manchego, but parmesan goes well too)

15 leaves of sage

1 sprig of fresh rosemary

As much olive oil as needed in order to get a thick paste you can spread on the cauliflower without it dripping everywhere.

Method:

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the spices and herbs.

Add the garlic cloves, the chipotle and the prunes.

Finally add the salt and cheese.

If you taste it, it has to be salty.

Rub the cauliflower with the mixture in the mortar.

Place it in a baking dish.

Cut the leek in 4 pieces, the carrots in halves and place them on both sides of the cauliflower.

Add some salt and olive oil just on top of the veggies.

Cover with tin foil and bake for 2 hours at 200ºC

Uncover and bake for 30-45 more minutes at 225°C or until the crust is crispy and the veggies are golden brown.

Serve cutting the cauliflower in slices as if it was a steak.

Chocolate and tangerine trifle

Ingredients (makes 3 pint-sized pots):

For the cream:

200ml double cream

1 1/2 tbsp white sugar

For the chocolate crème anglaise:

100 ml heavy cream

100 ml milk

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp white sugar

The peel of one tangerine (white part removed)

For the fruit & sponge:

3 tangerines (keep the peel of one of them)

2 eggs

250 ml greek yogurt

25 gr unsalted butter

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup flour (70gr)

25 gr cocoa powder

50 gr sugar

1 sachet of orange gelatine (or agar-agar, sugar and orange juice if you are a vegetarian)

Method:

Make the sponge by mixing the eggs, flour, sugar, yogurt, cocoa, butter, baking powder and tangerine peel grated (white part removed).

Bake for around 20-25 minutes at 200°C in a baking dish previously greased with butter.

Let it cool.

Meanwhile prepare the gelatine following the directions in the package.

Let it cool for a while and pour over the sponge.

Add some 1 tangerine per pot.

Let it cool in the fridge for 4 hours or until the gelatine becomes solid.

You can start making your crème anglaise 15 minutes before taking em from the fridge.

Mix the yolk with the sugar and cocoa powder.

Boil the milk with the tangerine peel and mix little by little with the yolk mixture.

Keep stirring to avoid coagulation.

Return to the pot and cook until it looks like custard.

Let it cool just a bit and pour over the sponge and fruit mixture.

Refrigerate until this layer is cold.

Mix the cream with a hand blender and sugar. Do not over-blend, or it will become butter.

Add on top of the crème anglais layer and garnish with little pieces of dried apricot.

Refrigerate again until it’s time to have dessert.

It doesn’t matter if you are in love with someone or not…being in love with food and yourself is the perfect excuse for having a great meal like the one above. Also, it serves more than two, so you can either celebrate with the family or have loads of leftovers. There you go, celebrate and have fun!